The invention relates to a device for removing flat articles, in particular blanks of collapsed boxes from a delivery station and for transferring these to a receiving station which has a transport device thereat to further transport the articles and to the provision of plural suction arms on a rotor which move through a closed cycloidal path, each having at least one suction device. The cycloidal path has plural tips and curved segments lying therebetween. The delivery station and the receiving station are each arranged at one tip of the cycloidal path.
A device of this type is known from the DE 40 29 520. It is used to remove packaging blanks one by one from a magazine and to insert the blanks into compartments on a conveyor belt. The blanks are, during this insertion, pressed by means of a cam controlled mechanism and through a radial movement of the suction arms away from the rotor into the compartments and are thereat reshaped.
The known device has the disadvantage that the control mechanism is technically relatively expensive.
The basic purpose of the invention is therefore to provide a device of the above-described type, however, without a control mechanism. More specifically, a device is provided for removing flat articles, in particular blanks of collapsed boxes from a delivery station and for transferring them to a receiving station which has a transport device thereat. Plural suction arms each with suction devices thereon are provided, which suction arms move through a self-contained cycloidal path. The cycloidal path has several tips and curved segments lying therebetween. The delivery station and the receiving station are each arranged at a tip of the cycloidal path. A rotor is provided for moving the suction arms.
A sun and planet gear is provided on the rotor, which sun and planet gear delineates the cycloidal path, and the suction devices are aligned parallel to one another and preferably to the transport direction of the transport device.
The device of the invention has the advantage that it functions technically in a simple manner and without a control mechanism. The sun and planet gear is a common gear arrangement and actually produces the cycloidal path. The suction devices are aligned parallel to one another and remain always in this direction during their rotation. Thus, their connection to the sun and planet gear arrangement is also realizable in a simple manner. The suction devices are guided by the cycloidal path to an article, are then moved with the article to the delivery station, and are finally again placed on a following article.
An optimum time use of the device is achieved when three or four suction arms and pairs of suction fingers are provided on each suction arm. When an article is gripped by a pair of suction arms, then its removal and its forward movement are safer than if it were supposed to be moved merely by one single suction arm. The same purpose is also served by several suction devices on one suction arm.
When the rotor is continuously driven, then a particularly high article transfer rate is achieved since a standstill of the rotor is avoided. The movement of the rotor can thereby be slowed down by means of a servo technique at the tips of the cycloidal path, which tips are relevant for handling of the articles, in order to in this manner make the handling yet more reliable.
Flat collapsed-box blanks can be taken out of a magazine in order to erect these then along the cycloidal path on a guideway. The blanks are for this purpose moved with a prefolded edge along the guideway. The guideway is adapted to the cycloidal path in such a manner that when the blanks are moved along the cycloidal path, and the spacing between the guideway and the blank is reduced, the blank will be compressed in this manner to thereby erect the collapsed box. The erected box is subsequently delivered to the transport device.